


Subtle Enchantment

by oak1411



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Bakery, Falling In Love, Give it a go?, M/M, Magic Rose Petals, Witch Louis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-13
Updated: 2013-03-23
Packaged: 2017-11-29 04:04:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/682563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oak1411/pseuds/oak1411
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis picks up a rose petal one day in the woods and takes care of it for years.  He meets Harry the same day and he becomes an important part of Louis life. <br/>Never had Louis thought his life would be magical, dangerous and almost perfect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hidden

You’ll find wonders in places you’ve always known. Magic that has always been present yet never seen. Not truly looked for. Some magic though accidental turns out to be destined. With a simple rain fall from magical consequence, a small raindrop containing the slightest amount of enchantment landing onto a desolate decayed Rose that created an unintentional wonder. Placed at the centre, surrounded by nothing but twigs and branches, the drop splashed onto a rotting petal with a spark of pink. The moon looked ominous as the beams of light hit, contrasting parts of the forest, as the moonlight shone on the curves and dents of the petal it began to illuminate, growing healthier and stronger. The entire forest turned into a light purple shade with undertones of lilac and pink. 

Louis always believed his grandmother was a witch. She wasn’t evil, with a big crooked nose or anything but she always seemed mystical to him. Every weekend he would spend at his granny’s, every Saturday after tea, they would go for a walk in the woods a few minutes’ walk from her cottage. She would talk to him about the trees whispering; how he wasn’t to step on any plants they have as much rights as he does. She tells him to breathe in the forest and try to understand it. 

Louis is at the tender age of 4, and though he loves his gran and her stories, he feels the need to act more defiant and after being told by the kids older than him on his block he simply began to realise how odd people find his grandmother. After telling her that the whole thing is stupid and he never really liked going there anyway the walk through the forest was awkward. Louis stayed in his bratty mood as his grandmother simply walked ahead ignoring the boy’s mood. 

After huffing enough they were finally heading back when something caught Louis eye. All the leaves were mouldy and disgusting but in the centre Louis spotted a rose, unusual to say the least. The rose was like the rest of the forest, blackened and deceased apart from one petal. The pink petal reminded him of the blush that would rise on his mother’s cheeks sometimes. The petal seemed full of life while in a forest which signified death. Enchanted by the rose Louis bent down to capture it, hold it and grasp it into his palm. The moment he did though, all the rotted parts crumbled away and went flying into the wind leaving Louis holding only the lively petal. 

Louis zoned in to hear his grandmothers shouts, carefully placing the petal into his pocket he ran to the cottage and back to his grandmother. It wasn’t until bath time he remembered the petal. He was striping down and his Grandmother was checking the bath temperature, the delicate petal seemed paler as it fell to the ground from Louis pocket. Gasping and placing it back into his hand his eyes studied the weakened petal and Louis felt his heart tighten. Louis grandmother noticed Louis had stopped and went over to him. After seeing the petal she brought Louis down to the kitchen with her and filled up a glass bowl with mildly warm water. She explained a special petal like this needed to constantly be in water, to be hydrated. Once she placed the petal into the liquid, Louis watched as it sank, instead of hitting the bottom the petal hovered and floated at the centre. It stayed swaying at the middle of the bowl for the next few days and Louis watched it grow brighter. He seemed to be brighter too, happier and less moody. 

When Louis came back the next weekend, he immediately headed to check on his petal having worried all week that it might have weakened. In his rush he crashed into a boy, knocking the boy right over and nearly falling himself. Steadying himself Louis looked down, pushing a hand out to help the boy up. After a few muttered I'm sorry’s and its fine Louis rushed back into his grandmother’s house. Seeing the petal floating alive and well Louis registered what has happened previously. About how hastily had run from the boy, how he may have been rude and he should find him and apologise. He realised he had never seen the boy before, curly locks, green eyes and he definitely seemed younger. It wasn’t until sleep was about to claim him did his subconscious make the connection. The pale and delicate shade of pink he loved on the petal was the same colour as the boy’s lips. 

 

\-------

Years later and Louis had turned 19 a few months back. He lived with his grandmother, helping her out and finding it much more convenient. He had a job at the local bakery with his best friend. He and Harry became best friends from the moment he apologised the second time. He spotted Harry at the park one day and stormed over to say he was doubly sorry, after that Harry would come over every time he was at his grans and that gradually turned into 3 days, 5 days… until he moved in.  
He works everyday but Sunday, and he’s perfectly happy with that. Harry works all the same shifts and they see their other mates constantly. Niall and Liam always end up in the bakery, whether it’s to chat or for the actual baked goods. Zayn’s dad owns the bakery, and Zayn’s house is right above it so naturally he’s around all the time. They don’t spread out much socially than the five of them but they have a few separate friends here and there. Louis life was pretty spectacular if he says so himself. He didn’t have a calling to go to a big city; he didn’t aspire to be a successful lawyer all he wanted was to be content. Be with his mates and not have money troubles. Everything was great, until one day. There's always that one day that can spoil everything. 

He arrived home, finishing his shift early with plans to meet Harry later on. He turned the lights on and headed to the kitchen for a cup of tea. Seeing the petal in the corner and feeling lighter, he finished making his tea and entered the living room. 

With a crash, the china smashed into pieces and spread out across the carpet; the tea soaking through and staining it rapidly.  
A shadow of a man surrounded by swirls of smoke and ash stood menacingly by the fire place. His grandmother standing opposite to the shadow with her arms pushed out in front of her. Some kind of blue beams shined out of her hands hitting the shadowed man and seeming to keep him at bay. Locking him to his location. He could hear his gran grunt with effort before a giant puff of smoke surrounded the room, the shadowed man gone. 

Turning to his gran with a befuddled gaze, she put her hands out towards him, her features suddenly panicked. He was choking, the black smog filling his lungs and spreading out painfully. He was surrounded by the thick black fog and could feel his lungs start to give out. His body crumpled to the floor before he felt his will strengthen. Within a second’s thought he felt himself fight back, a yellow glow suffocating the smoke and amercing it completely, gasping in breaths and blinking rapidly. He felt his gran sit him up, rubbing his arm comfortingly.

With a slight yellow tint in the air, Startled and confused Louis forced for his voice to speak out. 

“Gran are you a witch?”


	2. Shadians

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where i try to explain a plot line that makes no sense. I do so by making up words, using possibly incorrect information and making Harry seem adorable. This may make no sense.

Louis sat at the old wooden table, his hand being held by his grandma’s. They sat in silence for a few minutes, her thumb rubbing his palm continuously. She took in a deep breath before connecting her eyes to Louis. 

‘Louis, I am not a witch. I am an elemental. All of my bloodline has been also. Your mother being no exception. We are Gnomes.”

“Gnomes” Louis repeated, rather amused.

“Don’t interrupt me, yes Gnomes. Gnomes are spirits of the earth. We are not the only gnome in the world; they’re many variations of gnomes, ones who live under ground, some exactly how you’d picture them. We are more condensed, more spirit than gnome. The connection you feel in nature is part of your spirit”

“Can you stop saying Gnomes? I just... Just no”

“Okay, I’m just going to give you the basic’s, you have a connection to the earth. Dirt, trees, flowers… you get the picture. You can control earthly objects within reason, within the amount of your power. It’s not going to affect your life majorly I shouldn't imagine, were not all powerful just simple”

“So that thing in our living room that tried to kill me?” 

“An evolved shadow man, working for his master, what he’s after I'm not sure but the goal of the Shadians is to remove life from those who broke the rules. Rules for the supernatural community”

“This is getting more complicated” Louis put his head into his hands. 

“Louis, I'm worried. He seemed to be waiting for you, not fighting me but attacking you, I do not understand why he’s after you, you can’t have told a human because you didn’t know you were supernatural, you did not create life or save one near death. I-I just don’t know”

Louis looked at his gran, her age showing more. Grasping more firmly onto his granny’s hand, Louis let out and grunt.

“Right, well we can figure out why later, I guess finding a way for me not to get killed is priority one?”

“Yes, I have a pendant from way back that should stop them from detecting you, a few simple enchantments to perfect it. How to protect you from the shadow man is the problem though, time to research” 

Louis gran stood up and gestured for Louis to follow her to her bed room. There were no secret compartments, just those millions of books Louis had seen in his grans room for years. With a wave of her hand the books titles changed, enchanted writing revealing the true nature of the books. Gremlins, potions mastering, fairies tricks. Louis read a few titles before going to his granny and accepting the book she gave him. Shadians – the lore. They spent a few hours reading or in Louis case skimming. His life may be at risk, but reading was still extremely boring to him. A knock at the door and Louis shot up in a flash, his gran still engrossed in the book, Louis headed down stairs and to the door.   
Harry was stood there with his back to the door. Eyes closed relishing in the heat hitting his skin. The click of the door and Louis saw Harry slowly turn his head around, a gentle pleased smile causing Louis to smile back. 

“Hey Haz, what you doing here” Louis spoke, finding his smile effortlessly staying. 

“We had plans Lou” Harry laughed back. 

Louis heart gave a little filter, always feeling at ease with Harry around. Harry sucked in his bottom lip, playing with it so innocently. Louis chest was filled with adoration. 

“Louis, I got the pendant!” his grandmother yelled down. 

“Right, Harry’s here Gran” Louis yelled up, barely seconds later his grandmother joined them downstairs. Louis shutting the door after letting Harry inside. Harry greeted Louis grandmother, standing legs crossed. 

Louis went into the kitchen with them following. He went straight to his petal checking its condition and making sure it gets enough sunlight. Harry arrived at Louis side, looking at the petal himself, the beautiful subtle pink looking more exquisite in the sun. Louis and Harry were mesmerized by the petal floating in the water, they broke out after Louis grandmother let out a loud   
‘Harry’.

Both boys turned round, Harry’s gentle features turning into curious to why his name was called. 

“Harry!” she repeated again, louder and more clearly, moving forward till her hands were holding both sides of Harry’s face. Harry face could be read like a book, clearly showing how utterly confused he was. Louis was too, wondering what epiphany his grandmother seemed to have.

“Harry’s why Louis” 

“What?”

“He’s why the Shadians are after you Lou”

“What? Gran? How?” Louis muttered out.

“I see it now Louis, back when you were _, you were out in the woods with me, you attempted to save the only rose in the forest, it crumbled but you attached yourself, saving a single petal, a rosy pink petal” she turned Harry’s face to face Louis, her thumb placed just below Harry’s lips. Harry’s lips that shown with the same pink of the petal. 

“No, T-that gran, what connection does Harry have to the petal I saved years ago?”

“You gave the petal life Louis, you saved it from death, and it detached its own magic and linked with yours, it acted as a catalyst Lou, your magic and it’s created Harry”

“What?” Harry interrupted. Looking very confused and slightly agitated. “You think I was created by Louis and a rose petal? By magic!?” 

“Think back Harry, to the day you came to this town? Think back to before you arrived, where you came from? What do you remember?”

“I-I don’t, I don’t remember anything before but... t-that doesn’t mean… I” Harry looked close to breaking down, hands on his forehead, lips shaking and his eyes looking downward.  
“Sweetie, I’m sorry if this is too much, but it all makes sense, it is true, you’re a creation of magic”

Louis and Harry slowly processed the words spoken. Louis connecting his past, making sense of all he knew. 

“How did I give it magic?”

“What did you feel as the rose withered in your palm Louis?”

“Sad, a little broken, it was so beautiful that it didn’t deserve to vanish” 

“Life magic is created by a bond, when you saved the petal Louis, you were so adamant to keep it save, you loved it, cherished it, can you think of anything on this earth you feel the same about?”   
Louis always felt close to Harry, from the first glace he felt protective over him. Looking straight at Harry, his features relaxed. He saw Harry still slightly freaking out, still making sense of it himself. Louis pulled Harry into his arms. Trying to calm him, tell him it’s okay, that Louis loved him. Harry’s head buried into Louis shoulder arms wrapped around his waist. They stayed in their embrace for a while. 

“I’ll always protect you Harry” Louis said out to the room, clear and true. 

“Wha-what’s a shadian? What’s going on?” Harry muttered his head still tucked into Louis shoulder. 

Louis grandmother got them both to sit down at the dining table as she explained what had happened previously, what she had told Louis. 

“What do we do?” Harry asked. 

“From what I can tell, the shadow man, came to eliminate the life Louis gave to you Harry. The solution for them, is to eliminate your life, whether they do it through Louis or not”

“They just want me dead? The life Louis gave me returned? Then Louis’ safe?”

“No Harry. They are not killing you, not ever” turning to his gran, face stern and his voice definite. “No matter what we have to do, we are saving Harry”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it through this chapter of nonsense and you may have slightly liked it, feel free to let me know :) much appreciated.  
> *as far as i know i have made up the word 'Shadians'

**Author's Note:**

> Whether this will be just a two-shot or a full out series depends on the response really :) *also considering pulling it off and editing it, I have a bad habit or rushing stories and plan to fix them*


End file.
